Accessible New Construction Home Design in Orion Pennsylvania
Jon lives in Orion in rural Michigan, and with some health concerns shaping his future plans, he decided that building an accessible, single-level home was the best way to make his later years easier and more comfortable. His vision was clear: Design a spacious bungalow that combined practicality with personal style. A new home design concept that captured his and his wife’s sense of style perfectly.
To help guide the process, Jon provided us with a few sample photos that reflected his new home design taste, along with a detailed wish list to include in his Michigan home design. With those in hand, our design team set to work creating a home that checked as many boxes as possible while staying mindful of budget.
Finding the Right Home Design Balance
The first concept design captured much of Jon’s wish list, but the overall size came in larger than the budget would allow. Adjustments were necessary to balance dreams with financial reality.
The second version brought the square footage closer to the target, but the angled layout created awkward spaces and had a negative impact on construction costs. This is a common lesson in custom home design: keeping layouts simple often helps keep budgets under control.
This version brought the overall size closer to the target, but due to the angle of the layout, that meant some awkward spaces and an adverse effect on the budget. Keeping it simple can help control the numbers.
A House Design That Fits the Family
After several refinements, the final layout brought everything together. The home features a cathedral-ceiling great room that flows into the kitchen and dining areas, creating a large open space ideal for everyday living. The master suite includes a spacious bedroom, walk-in closet, and an ensuite bath, offering both comfort and privacy. A main-floor laundry and ample storage throughout the house ensure that daily life will be practical and manageable.
This design strikes a thoughtful balance between style, accessibility, and cost efficiency ~ proving that a custom bungalow can be both beautiful and functional.
The Home Design Process
Scratch-designed homes rarely happen in one draft. Each version represents a conversation between the client’s goals and the designer’s expertise. For Jon’s project, we created seven different versions before the plan was fully tuned.
In addition to layout and budget, we considered the essentials that make a home truly livable: prevailing wind patterns, natural light, views of the surrounding landscape, and ease of use. These factors often make the difference between a house that simply looks good on paper and one that feels right to live in.
Moving On to Elevations – New Home Design
Once the floor plan was complete, we advanced to the elevations and renderings. Providing clients with multiple perspectives of their future home is an important part of our process—it makes it easier to understand the design and, if needed, request changes before construction begins.
In Jon’s case, the renderings were exactly what he envisioned. He loved the design as presented and made no changes, which is always a great sign that we’ve truly captured a client’s vision.
Why Renderings Matter When Designing a New Home
Renderings are your chance to truly envision what your home will look like once it is complete, with finishes, textures, and details in place. This critical step allows you to catch potential issues while the project is still on the drawing board—long before labor, materials, and budget are wasted.
Good home design is not an extra cost, it is an investment. Thoughtful visualization can save you tens of thousands of dollars on a new home build by preventing changes during construction.
We also offer nighttime renderings, which give you a clear view of how exterior and interior lighting will perform once the sun goes down. This makes it possible to fine-tune the placement of fixtures and adjust the overall ambiance, ensuring your home feels welcoming and functional at every hour of the day.
Photorealism is the next stage… 
